Circulating vitamin D concentration and risk of prostate cancer: a dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies

• Main Authors: Gao JL, Wei W, Wang G, Zhou HL, Fu YW, Liu N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2018-01-01
• Series: Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management
• Subjects: Vitamin D; Prostate cancer; Dose-response meta-analysis
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/circulating-vitamin-d-concentration-and-risk-of-prostate-cancer-a-dose-peer-reviewed-article-TCRM

Jialin Gao, Wei Wei, Gang Wang, Honglan Zhou, Yaowen Fu, Nian Liu Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China Background: Though many studies have been performed to elucidate the association between circulating vitamin D and prostate cancer, no conclusive result is available. We carried out a dose–response meta-analysis to quantitatively examine the association of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration with prostate cancer.Methods: Only prospective studies examining the associations of circulating 25[OH]D concentration with prostate cancer were eligible for the meta-analysis. A random-effect meta-analysis was done first, to calculate the summary relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the higher concentration with the lower concentration of 25[OH]D. A dose–response meta-analysis using random-effects model was then carried out to evaluate the nonlinearity and calculate the summary RR caused per 10 ng/mL increment.Results: Nineteen prospective cohort or nested case–control studies were included. Higher 25[OH]D concentration was significantly correlated with elevated risk of prostate cancer (RR =1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.24). No nonlinear relationship was found between 25[OH]D concentration and risk of prostate cancer (P=0.654). Dose–response meta-analysis showed that the summary RR caused per 10 ng/mL increment in circulating 25[OH]D concentration was 1.04 (95% CI 1.02–1.06). Subgroup analysis also found a modest dose–response relationship. Funnel plot and Egger’s test did not detect publication bias.Conclusion: The findings suggest that highest 25[OH]D concentration is correlated with elevated risk of prostate cancer and a modest dose–response effect exists in this association; however, more studies are needed. Keywords: vitamin D, prostate cancer, dose–response meta-analysis